In a move as electrifying as one of his legendary overtakes on the tarmac, seven-time Formula 1 World Champion, Lewis Hamilton, has penned an exciting multi-year partnership with Fanatics Collectibles. This collaboration signals the dawn of a new chapter in Hamilton’s illustrious career, as he embraces scarlet armor for the first time with Ferrari, leaving behind a dozen transformative years at Mercedes. This isn’t just a merger of talent and commerce; it’s an odyssey blending the velocity of F1 with the shimmering allure of sports memorabilia.
The maestro of speed is now weaving his creative flair into a realm oft-unexplored by sitting down with the folks at Topps, a subsidiary of his new partner, Fanatics. Their teaming up is not purely for business or brand enhancement; it skyrockets Hamilton’s iconography into the stratosphere of trading card excitement. Fans will now have unprecedented access to authentic autographs and slices of race-worn gear imbued within Topps’s robust set of releases. Where once Hamilton’s card presence was but a part of a broader F1 mosaic, now he stands front and center, wielding a brush to paint his cards to his liking, and more nobly, channeling proceeds to join charitable pursuits dear to his heart.
Picture this: London, last Friday—a parade of F1 fervor as Hamilton ceremoniously snipped the ribbon at Fanatics Collectibles’ gleaming new flagship store on the iconic Regent Street. There, amidst a cacophony of cheers, Hamilton unveiled his pièce de résistance: a one-of-one Topps Chrome F1 card, resplendent in Ferrari’s hot-blooded reds, lovingly scrawled with the words “Forza Ferrari.” Imagine owning one of only five red-parallel copies of this card—unfathomably prized possessions among collectors who covet them more than a Monaco Grand Prix victory.
For those following the dizzying ascent of F1 trading cards, few are strangers to Topps’ trailblazing trajectory in this field. Their journey began when they clinched the rights to F1’s trading card empire in 2020, riding high on the wave of adulation spurred by Netflix’s “Drive to Survive” and a pandemic-induced trading-card renaissance. In no time, eight Topps F1 cards shattered the $100,000 auction ceiling, with Hamilton’s 2020 Chrome Superfractor pulverizing records when it dashed past the million-dollar mark in December 2024. Yes, you read that right—a piece of cardboard worth its weight in gold, if gold weighed over a million.
Before jetting off to the high-stakes arena of the Miami Grand Prix, Hamilton took a nostalgic stroll down memory lane in an exclusive interview with The Athletic. At heart, it turns out, Hamilton is a collector’s collector. He recounts childhood days squandered on Premier League sticker packs, kindling a lifelong passion for collecting. “Trading those packs with friends meant everything,” he recalls, adding that the notion of his memorabilia now underpinning causes close to his heart was beyond his wildest dreams.
During his visit to the London store, Hamilton’s heartstrings were tugged by a fan claiming possession of one of his one-of-one cards. The fan, like a mirror to Hamilton’s own story, grew up amid the roars of F1 and Arsenal fandom, painting a poignant picture of shared foundations and dreams. “Hearing his story made me feel we’re part of something bigger,” said Hamilton, voice seasoned with sentiment.
When prodded about his dearest possessions among a cavalcade of trophies and mementos, Hamilton’s selections were as colorful as his racing career. An indelibly spray-painted yellow go-kart helmet, courtesy of his dad, stands alongside the gleaming debut Monaco trophy and his inaugural race suit as cherished relics of his saga. To him, these “firsts” are pearls of greater value than gold-plated glory.
Outside the whirlwind of the track, Hamilton’s persona mellows into a renaissance man, relishing art and vintage cars. However, what truly sates his quiet moments is time spent appreciating the vibrant tapestries of young Black or African artists. And in case you’re curious, his most peculiar autograph request to date? A peculiar pair of Japanese boxer shorts, tastefully signed along the derriere. “Bizarre,” he says, “but it made someone’s day!”
As if his own star wasn’t bright enough, Hamilton is also something of a talent spotter, tipping Kimi Antonelli, Oliver Bearman, and Isack Hadjar as future champions whose rookie cards might one day be nestled comfortably next to his million-dollar jigsaw pieces.
